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Dakar Rally time again

I always thought the 450cc rule was less about homologation and was initially an attempt to bring speeds down. I believe when I first started watching, there were still some 600-650cc bikes, but the Dakar organization instituted some kind of rule that such bikes had some kind of intake restrictor. But within a year or two, everyone just moved to 450cc.

As far as I can tell from watching, there still is a lot of room for competition & different skillsets. I don't really know what the difference is, but I think there's one camp of folks who are into "WRC style" stages & another that prefers navigation heavy stages.

Wasn't there a complaint about that re: last year's Dakar. So this year they tried to introduce more navigation weighted stages? How's that working out for them. I'm sure when it comes to competition, the WRC style might be more exciting. But navigation makes it more of a mind game too, doesn't it?

I dunno. I've never tried reading a roadbook while blasting full throttle over giant sand dunes at 3500m above sea level.
 
ariacode said:
Anyone know where I can watch this without having cable?

I can only find some highlights torrents and the redbull highlights.

If you know of a private tracker, I'll see the shit out of it if you send an invite.
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You have to dig around a bit sometimes, but I can watch most of what I saw last year on TV here: http://www.nbcsports.com/motors
 
Price's seizures attributed (by him) to anemia, (low levels of iron) altitude, and blood loss. "Good to go today!"

I don't think the race organizers are deliberately leaning toward homologation, but that's where it's going with the smaller size bikes. You're right, it was speed restrictions that brought it about. The year where they had both, the 650's were allowed in by non-factory teams because a lot of the privateers buy their bikes second-hand and a long time in advance. Like before the rule change. That lasted one year only.

In today's interview with Brabec he specifically stated that he spent less energy on riding hard and more on navigating cleanly. It seems to have paid off. Something he's going to have to really concentrate about tomorrow, when he goes out first.
 
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... worse flood in 40 years ... :nchantr

... more cancelled stages ... bivouac support vehicles
stranded by landslide ... racebikes are supposed
to be behind and routed through the same landslide
estimated to take a day or two to clear ...?

... god bless them, I say ... Toby, too ... :gsxrgrl
 
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SFMCjohn said:
more cancelled stages
Click to expand...

This is really getting to me at this point, just like last years race, if you hold a 2 week rally and half of it is cancelled due to weather year after year maybe its time to change locations OR dates. I dono but at this point I if I was a competitor who ponied up $16k-$25k to enter a 2 week rally only getting 1 week of riding I'd be pissed! :mad
 
Dmitriy said:
This is really getting to me at this point, just like last years race, if you hold a 2 week rally and half of it is cancelled due to weather year after year maybe its time to change locations OR dates. I dono but at this point I if I was a competitor who ponied up $16k-$25k to enter a 2 week rally only getting 1 week of riding I'd be pissed! :mad
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Yes, it must be disappointing (and expensive, ouch!)
for the racers ...

... tomorrow's Stage 9 (Weds. 1/11) cancelled ... :nchantr

Thank you to the kind
soul that uploads France4's daily
transmissions to youtube.
Today's stage here:

[youtube]jZKuR2X2JbQ[/youtube]
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... in French ... rewards the patiently obsessed, IMO ...
... vintage stuff at 0:20 ... today's wet stage at 0:35 ... :ride
 
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Tomorrow was going to be a big day too... 400-odd miles of special with tricky navigation. Now there'll only be three short stages left.
 
TTTom said:
Tomorrow was going to be a big day too... 400-odd miles of special with tricky navigation. Now there'll only be three short stages left.
Click to expand...

and now Stage 10 could be in danger too... the roads leading south into Argentina are messed up to the point where the 2wd vehicles from the support caravan can't get through.
 
07:05 Brabec forced to drop out
Stage ten had a sad end for Ricky Brabec. He was in the top 3 of the special several kilometres from the finish when his Honda gave up the ghost on him. Unable to repair the problem, the American was forced to withdraw from the race and is therefore not present this morning.
Brabec out.
He was towed by Bianchi Prata yesterday but seems didn't make it [in time to stay in the race].
Click to expand...

:nchantr
 
Really digging Lyndon's videos. They give some great insight to Dakar that I've never seen/heard/read.
 
Stage 10 was pretty incredible, that's for sure. Don't know if I'd call it "great" like in the video, but it was pretty intense following it in real time. So much happened yesterday…Peterhansel hit another rider, resulting in a compound tib/fib fracture, a Mini hit a truck, Brabec's seemingly-invincible Honda gave up the ghost, Pablo Quintanilla crashed and ended up with a head injury, Laia climbed into the top 20 exactly as I predicted she would since I knew she'd do well in the trials-ish section…just a totally chaotic day.

I really wish we had a few more days of racing.



DakaristaChick
 
WoodsChick said:
I really wish we had a few more days of racing.

DakaristaChick
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... another Team Honda eye-roller ...
our USA Honda racer asked for
water over the radio when his bike stopped almost
at the finish of the special stage ...
in like third place for the day ...? :cry
 
SFMCjohn said:
... another Team Honda eye-roller ...
our USA Honda racer asked for
water over the radio when his bike stopped almost
at the finish of the special stage ...
in like third place for the day ...? :cry
Click to expand...


Yeah, I know...it's shitty. But I gotta say, the Hondas have made it this far without skipping a beat so at least HRC is making progress in that regard.
I won't fault them for this one motor going south...although I do wonder if perhaps it was due to shoddy preparation or something. At any rate, the Hondas really have been better this year. Wish I could say the same for HRC's management :nchantr

I would really like to see Barreda on the podium. Hell, he is within about 6 minutes of the overall lead right now (if my math is correct and up-to-date) even though he's carrying around that 1-hour penalty like an albatross, so a win is not out of the question! That would be fantastic! :party




NotABigHondaFanChick
 
WoodsChick said:
Yeah, I know...it's shitty. But I gotta say, the Hondas have made it this far without skipping a beat so at least HRC is making progress in that regard.
I won't fault them for this one motor going south...although I do wonder if perhaps it was due to shoddy preparation or something. At any rate, the Hondas really have been better this year. Wish I could say the same for HRC's management :nchantr

I would really like to see Barreda on the podium. Hell, he is within about 6 minutes of the overall lead right now (if my math is correct and up-to-date) even though he's carrying around that 1-hour penalty like an albatross, so a win is not out of the question! That would be fantastic! :party




NotABigHondaFanChick
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Looks like Barrreda is 53 minutes behind Sunderland who is in 1st, putting him in 5th.

Sunderland has a 30 minute lead over teammate Walkner who is in second.
 
Yes, the motor was just a racing thing ...

I think the request for water was what forced
him out of the race for having asked for assistance
... another example
of a Team Honda tactics/management issue ...?

Anyway, my betters are calling it
a rookie error ... "gotta know all the rules" ... :dunno

... or you could say Team Honda is failing to
recognize they have a target on their backs,
and are at great risk of being penalized ...
least it's beginning to seem that way ... : |
 
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